Garrett McNamara
| Garrett McNamara | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born |
August 10, 1967 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Residence | Hawaii, USA |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Surfing career | |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Best year | 2013 |
| Sponsors | Red Nose, Mercedes Benz Wavejet, Donjoy, Body Glove, Kona Red, Maui Jim, Raw Elements, and Noll Worldwide |
| Major achievements | World record for largest wave ever surfed, first to surf tsunami from calving glaciers |
| Surfing specifications | |
| Stance | Regular |
| Shaper(s) | Dick Brewer, Greg Noll, YU, Rusty, Stretch |
| Quiver | Big |
| Favorite waves | Lani's and Sunset |
| Favorite maneuvers | The tube |
| Website | garrettmcnamara.com |
Garrett ‘GMAC’ McNamara (born August 10, 1967) is an American professional big wave surfer and extreme waterman known for breaking the world record for largest wave ever surfed at Nazaré, Portugal, surviving a monstrous wave at Jaws, and riding tsunami from calving glaciers in Alaska.
McNamara was born on August 10, 1967 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and spent part of his childhood in Berkeley, California. In Berkeley, McNamara, and his younger brother Liam McNamara, were both known by friends to be rather fearless and to shrug off the pains of rough childhood play, foreshadowing his later ability to face danger while surfing. McNamara moved to the North Shore of Hawaii in 1978. At eleven years old, McNamara followed his younger brother's footsteps and began surfing at Sunset, Waimea and the outer reefs in search of giant swells. He entered and placed in the prestigious Hawaiian Triple Crown Series at seventeen and began to gain major sponsors from major Japanese brands. For the next ten years, both brothers joined the competition circuit, traveling and becoming fluent in Japanese.
Tow surfing caught on among the surfing community in the early 1990s and McNamara was one of the first to join the movement. Boats and personal water craft enabled surfers to chase down and catch giant waves that were thought impossible, beyond the bounds of surfers paddling with their bare hands. McNamara welcomed and craved the challenge to find the biggest waves in the world, which would instantly become his dream and mission in life.
After training for a year, McNamara and tow-in partner Rodrigo Resende won the $70,000 purse at the Tow Surfing World Cup in Maui at Jaws in 2002. Later that year, he graced the cover of major surf magazines around the world after being photographed in a dramatic barrel shot off of the coast of Teahupo'o in Tahiti. In 2003 he rode one of his most well known waves. McNamara was once again at Jaws and caught a wave with a 20-foot (6.1 m) barrel where onlookers believed he had been crushed by the lip of the wave. The wave spit and escaping death, he emerged to the surprise and amazement of everyone watching, including himself.
...
Wikipedia